China says US-Japan ties should not hurt others

Cooperation between the United States and Japan must not harm any third party’s interests, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters at a press briefing on Tuesday.

His remarks came after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Japan and held talks with Japanese officials.

China was called a “threat,” while parties involved expressed their commitment to “opposing coercion and destabilizing behavior.”

“We believe that the US-Japan cooperation should boost mutual trust and understanding as well as benefit regional peace and stability,” Zhao said at the press briefing.

Blinken flew to Japan’s capital Tokyo with Austin on Tuesday, marking the first overseas visit by top members of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet.

They will continue on to South Korea, and a policy review by the new administration of its approach to Pyongyang is also a key part of the diplomatic outreach.

Blinken’s comments come ahead of meetings in Alaska tomorrow that will bring together for the first time senior Biden administration officials and their Chinese counterparts to discuss frayed ties between the world’s top two economies.